


Love letters and other lies

by jessamoo



Category: Reign (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, cyrano AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-03-26 16:51:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3857956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessamoo/pseuds/jessamoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cyrano AU - Bash has a crush on Mary and falls in love with her through email exchanges - but it is actually Kenna who is replying</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"I am not 'Roxanne'-ing some poor boy just because you don't know how to talk to him."

"Alright! Miss best-in-english-class-since-fourth-grade. I only wanted you to help me. I really like him."

Kenna and Mary were sat in her room - Kenna sprawled on her bed, surrounded by books and Mary cross legged on the floor, staring at her computer with a frown, like it was something totally incomprehensible to her. In actual fact, Mary was one of those people that could type a hundred miles an hour and also make whatever she was saying sound authentic and funny - provided it was a facebook status or a hashtag. Any kind of real communication and she kind of freaked out. As the most popular girl in school - yes, they still had those in their small, elitist town - she was perfectly capable of projecting the image she needed too to her many, many followers. Just not so much on an individual basis. At least, not so much anymore. Thats the thing about being the queen, even just of a high school. You speak a separate, distant language to everyone else.  
A language of pep talks and cheerleading chants. A language of compliments and thank you's through forced smiles.

Kenna didn't have to put up with any of that. She was Mary's best friend, but it was generally accepted that she could and did whatever she wanted. The image she projected was  
one entirely of her own making, and that's why people liked her. She often worried that Mary had spent so long being the object of gossip and whispers that she no longer knew who she was. But Kenna knew her. She had always known her, just as she always knew herself. 

Kenna reached out and put a comforting hand on her friends shoulder, feeling a little guilty. What was the harm of helping, when she knew Mary liked Bash a lot?

"Let me see this love letter then." Kenna sighed, rolling her eyes in fake annoyance.

"Don't call it that. We aren't in the seventeeth century. It's just an email. A friendly email."

"Ooh, email! How romantic." Kenna teases as Mary huffs and passes her the laptop. 

Bash De poitiers had been in all the same classes as Kenna since they were small. They had first made friends when she had poured paint all over a boy who had pushed her over and Bash had, rather chivalrously for a six year old, taken the blame. And apparently he had grown no less chivalrous. His email to Mary, which had popped up innocuously in her inbox half an hour ago, was very eloquent. And it wasn't creepy, which was a good sign. No. Bash, with his quick smiles and understanding  
nods, could never be that.

"Well this is quite nice, really, isn't it? He hasn't put any pressure on you. He's really very understanding. He's basically saying 'hello, i want to date you, but if you don't want to date me then that's just fine'."

"Yes. He's great. But I have no idea what to say to him! So I wasn't asking you to 'Roxanne' him, whatever that means." Mary whined with wide eyes and a pout.

Kenna furrowed her brows. "You don't know that movie? God, how have we been friends for so long? Its based on the Cyrano de Bergerac play?"

Mary just shrugs.

"Basically some guy thinks he's too ugly - he has a big nose, basically - for this girl to love him. His friend falls in love with this girl too but he has no idea how to talk to her. So the big nosed guy writes the girls letters pretending to be his friend and she falls in love with the friend because of them."

"How does it end? Does she find out?"

"Well...yes...but actually...like, everyone dies." Kenna finishes lamely, thinking maybe it wasn't the best example to have used.

Mary chews her lip, thinking for a moment. Then she smiles and shrugs. "Its not like that's going to happen to us if we do that."

Kenna's mouth drops open. "Mary I have already said I won't. It isn't fair. He needs to love you for you and if he can't then he isn't worth it in the first place!"

"Please Kenna. Pleeeeeeeasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-" Mary sits up on her knees like a little child, a small smile on her lips.

"Oh my god shut up!" Kenna cries, throwing her hands up. "Once. I will do this for you once."

"Deal. Thank you!" Mary grins. Then she jumps up and grabs her bag from the floor.

"Uh - where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I have practice. Don't worry bestie, i trust you." She smiles, leaning down to smother Kenna in kisses, effectively cutting off any sound of her protesting by holding her tightly in place.

"You owe me so much for this." Kenna scowls, and Mary, as usual, is unaffected. 

"Just don't go falling in love with him like in the play." Mary laughs. "Bye, Roxanne!" She jokes as she flounces out the room.

"Actually...He's Roxanne in this situation!" She mutters dejectedly to the door, knowing no one can hear her.

She skims Bash's email again.

Bash was a good person. They were good friends. She felt bad, really, lying to him like this. But it would only be the once, and its not like she'd say anything too bad. She would just...nudge him and Mary together, that's all. This was just a nudge between friends.

But something gets into her as she hesitantly begins to type. Maybe its all the classic books she was currently surrounded by, or maybe it was the glinting green leaves on the tree outside that reminded her, strangely, of bash's eyes. But her fingers take on a life of their own and soon enough a whole page has been taken up on her reply. A whole page of 'me too's' and 'beautiful's' and 'connection's'. and soon enough it feels natural, as if the words had lived inside of her the whole time, but she had never written them till now.

When she's finished she signs with her name - before realizing quickly that this wasn't supposed to be her at all. She quickly taps in Mary's name, a small traitorous blush on her cheeks.

she hadn't thought of Bash romantically before, at least, she didn't think she had. She knew he was good looking, and kind, and intelligent. She knew she had always been comfortable with him and that they made each other laugh. She knew all sort of things, but now she had no idea what they meant to her. Like speaking this way to him had unlocked a secret part of her. Like she'd been hearing the tune of a song ever since they had meant but was only just listening to the words.

Uh oh, she thinks, thinking of Mary's words to her. Thinking of all the almighty angst and shit that had gone down that stupid play.

She would have to make sure she didn't do this again. No matter how much she found that she wanted to.


	2. Chapter 2

Kenna was shoving her bags in her locker the next day, rather aggressively, as if by doing that she could shove all thoughts of Bash and her feelings and what she had done with them out of her mind.

Of course, he then took that prime opportunity to show up. Of course.

Kenna let out a yelp as Bash rushed into her, grabbing her around the waist and swinging her round.

"Oh my god!" She laughed, conscious of everyone staring at them. "What is wrong with you?" She laughed when he put her down, annoyingly carefully.

She had left her hands on his strong shoulders. They almost looked like a couple. She could have gone on her tip toes to kiss him and no one would have batted an eyelid. 

She shoves her hands in her pockets, a blush creeping up her neck. Bash didn't notice.

"Come on." He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her along side him through the double doors and out into the sunshine. "You should be asking what is right with me. I'm in love!" He grinned. He was acting like it was a joke, but she could see the sincerity behind his eyes.

And her stomach dropped. "W- with who?" She stammered. She thinks she won't be able bear it when his mouth forms an M. But surely, she hopes. Surely he must hear her voice in those email lines. 

"Come on. She must have told you about the email. You're best friends."

Kenna nods and chews her lip. Hell yeah she told her about the stupid email.

"Ah! Isn't the sun glorious?" Bash opened his arms and lifted his face to the sky.

Kenna burst out laughing and shook her head. "I thought you said you were in love. Not that you'd had a lobotomy."

Bash looks at her like he's lost in his own little world. And she hates it. Even when he was in love with her best friend he was cute. 

"You should have read her reply. God, Kenna, I had no idea. She's so...intelligent, so smart. She noticed things about me that...she's just so observant. I feel like she really sees me, you know? Don't you know how crazy that is? Like she really understands my art, my writing. She said she always felt that i was an inherently good person." He tucks his head as if thinking about it embarrasses him, but he's smiling the whole time. Kenna's smile is fake.

"I always thought that too." She adds a little pathetically. All of those things her loved Mary for were her. Didn't he put that together?. Mary didn't even know he could draw. Kenna knew because they had sat side by side in freshman year art class, jostling each other and flicking paint at each other. Bash was a wonderful artist but had teased Kenna mercilessly about her pot plant that looked like a giraffe. It had become an in joke with them. Every time she'd ask him if he wanted anything he'd say "The red paint, and a giraffe." Or "Two cans of coke - and oh, don't forget the giraffe." No one else had understood but they had laughed until their sides hurt.

Bash should know it was her. But she knew there was no way he could. Why would he presume that, when it had come from Mary's account? Its not like any of this was actually normal. And she could never tell him.

"I know you think that." He smiled at her kindly. "But you think everyone is good." He wrapped his arm round her shoulder.

"Not everyone. Not Mr Fineman when he gives the whole class detention because some idiot won't shut the fuck up."

"That was one time. And I brought everyone kronuts to apologise. Besides, we can't all be a saint like you." He kissed her temple and bounded off happily, blissfully unaware.

Oh Bash, she thinks, If only you knew.


	3. Chapter 3

"We have a major problem. Code red. All other code names for really bad shit going down." Mary yells, her face flushed as Kenna's door slams against the wall from where she had flung it open with monumental force.

She starts pacing around the room, her shoes scuffing the soft white rug. This is not the only reason Kenna jumps up, of course.

"What the hell?" She cries, concern in her voice at her friends agitated state.

Grabbing Mary by the shoulders she guides her to the bed and sits down beside her.

"What's wrong?" She demands. "What's happened?"

Without warning Mary's face crumbles into tears and she buries her face in her hands. "Oh Kenna! It's all so...I've ruined - ev- everything!" She wails, hiccuping through sobs. Kenna takes her hands away from her face. "You! You should have stopped me!"

Kenna frowns, utterly perplexed.

Everything had been going just fine - for Mary, anyway. Thanks to Kenna's emails, Mary and Bash had been dating for two weeks. You'd think it was two years, from the way they were attached at the hip. Utterly fawning over each other. At least, that was what Kenna saw. Perhaps she was a little biased, because no one else seemed to be bothered when Bash and Mary snuggled into each other and whispered under their breath - secrets, away from her, that she would never be a part of. 

But of course, she didn't say anything. She could never. As much as she now felt a twisty feeling in her stomach every time she saw Bash, she loved both him and Mary. She would never destroy their happiness. 

But something clearly had.

"Tell me whats happened." Kenna says, adopting a more soothing tone.

"Bash...he's decided it would be cute if we carried on emailing. That's what he thinks brought us together and he thinks it could be our thing!"

Well, that was sickeningly romantic of him, Kenna thinks. How wonderful, that someone like that existed...

Oh.

Oh, now she realizes. If this became their 'thing', Kenna would never escape. They would have to continue to lie to Bash forever...or at least, you know, until he and Mary broke up. Which was only a little cruel of Kenna to think, given the circumstances.

"Well I can't keep emailing your boyfriend indefinitely."

"I know!" Mary snaps, scowling at her. But she knows it isn't really Kenna she's annoyed with. "I know that! Oh God, what are we going to do? If I don't email him, he might be suspicious. If I admit that I can't...if I admit that I lied he'll know what an awful person I am. Ugh! I'm such a phoney! He'd be right to break up with me. I never should have done it."

Kenna can say nothing. All of this is tragic, and true. She rubs Mary's back as her friend calms down.

"I suppose..." She starts. This was the worst idea ever. But it was the only idea she had. "I could write one more...and you can somehow convince him that you don't need to email each other after that?"

"Do you think that will work?" Mary swallows, hope glimmering in her eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe if we send one more and then say, I don't know, that your laptop broke or something and you need to fix it before you send more...he might forget whilst he's waiting?" Kenna supplies. It sounds idiotic when she says it out loud, but Mary starts nodding vehemently and Kenna can't help but want to do this for her.

They were best friends, after all.

 

Kenna sat with her legs crossed, staring intently at her computer screen. The grass underneath her is bumpy and uncomfortable.

It was the next day, after Mary's outburst and she was sat at school, racking her brain, trying to think of what to write. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. Bash could mention something he'd said to Mary and she wouldn't have the slightest clue what he was on about. She would have to be careful.

She begins tapping nervously, only the first few words.

But its enough.

She didn't hear him coming up behind her. He was probably planning on surprising her, like he usually did. They would have laughed and she would have punched him lightly in the arm, he'd pretend to be hurt. They would be as they always were.

But not this time.

This time, the shadow falls over her and when she looks up into Bash's face, she knows its too late, even when she slams the laptop closed.

"What the fuck was that?" He whispers coldly as Kenna jumps up.

"It...it wasn't what it looked like, I swear." She gulps, but it sounds fake even to her.

"Then what was it?" Bash snaps. "Because to me it looked like you were writing Mary's email to me."

"I..." This was all wrong. They had been so close and now he knew the truth - his eyes were shining with fury. He looked disgusted, and she felt that too. She felt like she was drowning, like she was physically floating away from him.

"Was it you the whole time? Have you two been playing some sick game the entire time?"

He's shouting now, and people around them are turning, eager to take in the drama. It would be all around the school by lunch time.

"Please, Bash, let me explain." She starts in a tangled rush. "Mary really likes you, she just didn't know how to tell you - "

"How about herself, for a start, like a bloody normal person?!" 

"I know! I know. But everything I said, it was true. She really does - "

Bash holds his hands up and she stops, breathing shallowly. He shakes his head and stops away.

"I never thought either of you could do something like this. Even if Mary thought...why would you agree?"

Kenna has no answer. She had wanted to help her friends. She had wanted to bring them love. She had wanted, selfishly, to tell Bash everything she felt about him. And now he thought it was a lie, and nothing she could say would change his mind. She had lost him, and it was her own stupid fault.

She watches him walk away without a word.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after a lot of requests this chapter is about another ship. hope you all like it!

Mary sat hugging her knees.

Now, she was never one to feel sorry for herself. She didn't sit alone and cry over boys. At least, not usually. But right now she was on the bleachers, wondering how everything went wrong. Well, she knew, really. And she supposed that's why she was upset. Not so much about Bash - though that hurt like hell, she hadn't actually had the chance to fall in love with him. No. She's upset with herself for thinking her plan had been a good one. This was the problem with computers - it was all so anonymous. It didn't feel real - until it had all come out, as these things always do. 

She hears footsteps behind her and looks up sharply, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"Oh. It's you." She says coldly to Francis who is peering down at her. He looks concerned, which she finds strange considering what she'd done to his brother.

He sits beside her, ignoring her comment.

"This will sound like a stupid question, but are you all right?" He turns to her and smiles gently.

Mary opens her mouth once, and closes it again. Why was he being so nice to her after she'd basically stomped all over his brother's heart?

"Better than Bash." She says, hoping to remind him he wasn't supposed to be on her side.

Francis sighs. "He'll get over it."

Mary lets out a sharp laugh. Yeah, right. He'll get over two of his best friends lying to his face. Sure.

"What makes you think that?" She asks, incredulity clouding her voice.

Francis deliberates for a moment. He was always careful, more so than Bash. Where Bash was all wildfire, Francis was the calmest of waters. Mary found that oddly comforting then. She wasn't expecting a fight, or a lecture, and it felt nice.

"Despite his many flaws, Bash is an inherently good person. In fact, he's honorable to a fault. So as much as he's hurt, he'll eventually let himself understand why you did it and he'll forgive you. Even if he doesn't trust you."

"Oh." Is all Mary manages. Truthfully she's beginning to wonder if she really knew Bash at all. She thought he'd be furious with her forever - she would be. And the things Kenna had wrote to him had been beautiful, but she hadn't known them. Hadn't thought them first.

"Why are you being nice to me?" She asks.

Francis doesn't look at her. She had known Francis for as long as she'd known Bash, longer maybe, and infinitely better. When she was little she always thought she would choose Francis - but as they grew up Bash became this unstoppable force that drew everyone to him, and quiet careful Francis had been pushed out of her mind. She thinks what a shame that was, now.

"Because. I know that you were scared. Scared he wouldn't like you. And I know all about that."

Then, right then, he looks at her. Looks right in her eyes, and she suddenly knows, with a jolt, that he cares about her as more than a friend. A blush creeps up her cheeks and she can't help but smile.

Francis holds out his hand and hesitantly, she takes it.

"Will he forgive Kenna? They've been friends for ages. I'd hate to think I'd ruined that." Mary says as Francis rubs small circles against her skin with his thumb.

He grins. "Well that's another drama all together, isn't it? Bash fell in love with all the things he thought he saw in you, and you in him. But in actual fact, all those things belong to Kenna."

"So what are you saying? That...Bash actually fell in love with Kenna?"

"Yes."

"Is he actually aware of this?" She laughs.

"Not yet. I think he's trying not to think about it. But he'll work it out soon enough. My mother is forcing him to invite her to dinner, so he'll have to face her sometime...would you like to come? To dinner I mean?"

Mary hesitates. Sitting round a table with her ex boyfriend, her ex best friend, his brother and their hugely dysfunctional family wasn't exactly her idea of fun. But Francis was being kind to her when no one else was (Lola had taken Bash's side and Greer had stayed out of it in that annoyingly pragmatic way of hers) and she finds herself nodding before she knows what she's getting herself into.

When Francis leaves for class, she misses his hand in hers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long. ive just finished uni so ive had a busy few weeks!

As Kenna walks through the school grounds, clutching her bag tighter, she makes sure she holds her head up high. She probably looks like one of those women who constantly seem as if they've smelt something bad, but whatever. Its all she really knows how to do right now.

Because, of course, this was high school, and that meant everyone knew. Or they knew some version of what happened. Naturally it had all been warped and twisted ten times over in ten different ways. 

She hadn't seen Bash - the weekend before this monday morning was torture, as she didn't speak to anyone. She just waited. Mary had called her, but she didn't want to hear her blaming her, she didn't want to hear about her and Bash. Greer and Lola had come round and brought her some cookies - probably as an excuse to get through the door but her mother had taken them and then shooed the girls away, which Kenna was guilty and grateful for. She just couldn't deal with the reproach in their eyes, or their pity.

Now though she had to pretend to be indifferent.

That was hard to do when more and more people were beginning to stare at her and whisper behind their hands. But she was strong, she always had been. And she was very good at pretending. So she continued walking straight and did her best to ignore everyone and everything.

"Hey! Hey, Kenna!" A voice calls.

She recognizes it as one of the jock's from her history class, though she can't remember his name. He was loud and obnoxious, but that meant he was the same as almost every other boy here.

"Yo! I'm talking to you!"

Not giving up then. She stops suddenly as the boy appears in front of her, laughing over his shoulder to his friends. She tries to side step him but he stops her. He's much taller and stronger than her, but really, she isn't frightened. She's just really, really annoyed.

"Excuse me." She spits acidly, not meeting his eye. She only comes up to his shoulder.

"Sure, I'll excuse you. Just wanna know one thing. Is it true you emailed naked pictures to that De poitiers kid?"

All of his friends start laughing and she scoffs disgustedly, not even dignifying it with an answer. She finally shoves past him but she hears his footsteps following doggedly behind her. Kenna keeps walking without turning back, but it hurts a little that people are just stood around watching. She almost can't believe that someone had thought of that and spread it around, never mind that people thought it was actually true.

"Hey, what do we have to do to see under those clothes, huh? I got an email account to you know."

Keep walking, she thinks. Keep walking. 

"Nah, you're right. Email is way too old school. I'd rather just see it in person."

Before she can think his meaty fist is wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back to face him. His face is feral and large, looming over her with a smile that makes her stomach churn because she knows exactly what it means.

"Let go of me!" She hisses, anger flaring in her eyes. She tries to pull away but he's too strong. Her wrist looks bird boned and tiny in his grip. His friends are laughing. Some of the people around them are looking concerned, but they still don't move.

"You're disgusting!" She cries, but the more the tries to pull away the funnier his friends think all of this is.

When he turns to grin at them, her hear constricts in panic, knowing it might be her only chance, and before she can register her choice, she slams her foot down hard on his.

It didn't make much of an impact but the surprise makes him yelp and let go of her and she shoves away quickly, her feet already carrying her away. If she'd been in the right place, she sure as hell would have done more than just stamp on his foot.

She hears his grunt of annoyance and begins to turn, to check over shoulder when suddenly there is a thwack, the unmistakable sound of a fist hitting flesh.

Before she can turn a strong arm grips hers and begins steering her into the school.

She looks up, perplexed, at Bash. His face is flush with anger and he won't meet her eye.

"He wasn't going to give up." Is all he says by way of explanation. After that he doesn't say a word, and though his grip lessens, he doesn't let go of her all the way to her locker.

When they do get there, he doesn't leave right away like she's expecting to, though he still isn't really looking at her.

"Thanks." She mutters lamely. She's about to open her mouth to speak in a rush, but he knows her too well and holds his hand up before she can say anything.

"Catherine wants you to come to dinner."

Well, whatever she was about to say dies. She hadn't been expecting that. Bash's stepmother was the principle of the school and a notorious battle axe. Everyone was pretty much terrified of her. And considering everything, Kenna couldn't think why she'd actually invite her over. Whatever the reason, it couldn't be good.

"W-" She's about to mutter a few choice expletives but the look on Bash's face stops her. He isn't relishing the prospect of spending time with her. Not that she blamed him, but it still hurt to know it.

"She's all about reputation. You know how stories like this get twisted and she has to be seen to be doing something to smooth things over, especially given that its her school and her stepson." He says coldly.

"Oh...that makes sense, I suppose." She says and then she can't think of anything else. For what feels like the first time, she has nothing to say to him.

"You can come at around seven." He says. The, then, he finally looks at her.

And she wishes he hadn't, because she can see all that terrible emotion in his eyes and she knows she's the one that put it there.

So she just nods mutely and watches him walk away.

 

Their house is impressive. Like really impressive. Kenna knows that Henry provides a house for Diane, Bash's mother, and she wonders what its like. If its anything like this, well, she can see why you would stay with him. Because she did, of course. Everyone knew but pretended not to. This family was used to scandal.

And used to luxury, apparently. Kenna can't believe she's never been here before as she timidly makes her way up the gravel path. She'd had to be buzzed in at the gate which was awkward because most people that arrived here arrived in expensive new cars. Not 4 inch heels they can't walk in and a purple dress they have to hold down in the breeze.

It's one of those houses that looms over you. Pale brickwork and a white door, it looks neat and clean - too neat and clean, not how a home should be. Homes should be messy and loud. She thinks if she spoke here it would echo everywhere.

She sees someone on the doorstep as she approaches and her heart catches in her throat.

Mary.

What the hell was Mary...oh god. She wants to turn and run before Mary notices her but its too late. Mary puts a hand up, waving awkwardly and Kenna tries to smile. They tension is everywhere now, its suffocating.

"Hi." Mary says and Kenna nods, stepping onto the doorstep with her.

"Hi." Kenna repeats. She reaches to the doorbell for something to do but Mary tells her she's already rung it.

So they both stand there as Kenna's hand drops back down again.

"So-"

"I-"

They both try to speak at the same time then blush and fall silent.

"You go first." Kenna says and finds Mary is a little too quick to oblige. 

"I tried to call you, at the weekend. I understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me, but I think we should. We need to sort all of this out. I think we can, don't you?"

It's a rhetorical question, but Kenna wouldn't have been able to answer even if it wasn't. Mary is being so practical, as if they can all move on from this and be exactly the same. She had a way of rationalizing everything and it could be infuriating.

"That's...that's all?" Kenna asks. "How exactly do you think this is going to get fixed?" Kenna asks, incredulous.

Mary lifts her head up high and Kenna knows she is switching into leader mode. "We'll talk about it tonight, like adults."

"Oh, well its nice to see you've matured in two days. Getting someone to send love notes to your crush isn't very adult, after all." Kenna replies tartly.

She's sorry for it, but before she can feel too guilty the door finally swings open.

Bash is on the other side. Staring at both of them.

Kill me now, Kenna thinks. Just grab the silk scarf on the hook behind you and strangle me with it.

He looks at the both like he doesn't know what to do.

Just then, Francis appears behind him. He moves him gently aside and Bash lets him, too shocked to do much else.

"Hello you two." He says, though he only has eyes for Mary. He sticks his hand out and she takes it gratefully, allowing him to pull her inside.

Then its just her and Bash again. 

He doesn't take her hand, of course. He just steps aside and lets her past him into the house.

They were barely through the door way and it was already a disaster.

How in the hell were they going to make it through the first course?


End file.
